I was happy to receive an eARC of The Girls Weekend from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for review consideration.
The Girls Weekend is a quick, thrilling read about The Fearless Five, a group of college friends who reunite to celebrate a baby shower. While the occasion should be joyous, the impending dread of having to relive old rivalries, grudges, and jealousies puts considerable stress on all five women, especially our MC, June. Her ambivalence is directed at Sadie, the organizer of the baby shower and the epitome of Glam Girl. She has the perfect house, the perfect husband, the perfect daughter, the perfect career. Yes, on the outside, everything seems to be, well, perfect.
However, as the girls weekend unfolds, we learn that appearances aren't always what they seem, and when the girls wake up to find the house destroyed, a bloody mess, and Sadie inexplicably missing, the tenuous ties of their former lives are not enough to keep The Fearless Five from turning on each other.
I loved the overall premise of this book. I found the friendship dynamic to be realistic and enjoyed the narrative. Old friendships can be complicated and layered, and that's exactly how this group was shaped. However, I thought the plot felt a little too predictable (I lost track of the number of pages referencing "calling the cops" instead of propelling the story forward), and I wasn't nearly as surprised by the ending as I was hoping.
On the whole, The Girls Weekend is an enjoyable, fun read. A who-done-it murder mystery with delightful insight into the complexity of former bonds.
